Improvement in banjos



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SJSTILES, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMQNT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BANJOS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,182, dated July 22,1873; application filed March 14, 1573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. STILES, of Springfield, in the county of\Vindsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and usefulimprovement in Banjos; and that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of refer ence marked thereon making a partof this Y specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in banjos; and theinvention consists-in making the body of the banjo of thin sheet metal.

It has been found that the sonorousness is greatly increased byconstructing the body of a banjo of thin sheet metal, which not onlygives a clear metallic sound when the strings are vibrated over it, but,as will be seen, it is far more durable, and very much cheaper than thewooden body, with a sheepskin head, of a banjo.

In the accompanying sheet ofdrawings,Figure 1 represents a frontelevation of my banjo, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, with the bodythereof in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A represents the body of a banjo, which may be circular, or of any formdesired, and which isconstructed of any desirable sheet metal. This bodyis constructed by cutting out ot' any desired thin metal the face andback a Z1, and fitting them, by solder or otherwise, to the edge or rimB, which is also formed of a strip of sheet metal bent to the desireddiameter. To

the body thus constructed the neck 0 is secured by two lugs, c, whichare soldered or otherwise secured to the edge of the body, and thenriveted to the neck. This neck may be either of wood or metal. To theface of the. body A is suitably secured, by solder or otherwise, thebridge 1), and the tail-piece c is secured to a buttomf, inserted intothe edge B. The strings, which may be either of gut or metal, aresecured to the tail-piece and to the pegs in the head g, the same as inbanjos ordinarily constructed.

The banjo being thus made is well adapted for a musical instrument or atoy, when it will be found to produce clear musical notes, be muchcheaperin construction, and more durable in use, since all liability offracture of the body is avoided, and no occasion for replacing the faceor head of the body with sheep-skin necessary, as in banjos ordinarilyconstructed, and all necessity for stretchers is done away with.

The edge or rim B may be perforated with a series of openings, throughwhich the sound can escape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new ar icle of manufacture, a banjo provided with avbody composedof face, back, and rim of sheet metal, as herein specified.

JOHN S. STILES.

Witnesses:

J. E. GRAVES, F. E. BATCHELDER.

